


Birds of a Feather

by AuraPaladinne



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Chess, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29074743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraPaladinne/pseuds/AuraPaladinne
Summary: Altair reminisces over a game of chess about how he and Nezahualpilli met.(Written for the Granblue Secret Santa Exchange 2020.)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Birds of a Feather

Deep in the subgalleys of the Grandcypher lay the bar Raduga. It might not have been the most quiet place on the ship for Altair to read, but there was something he found quite peaceful sitting in a booth, with a good book and a good cup of tea by his side. The afternoon was growing long, and as more patrons began to start up their night’s plans, Altair found a homely comfort in the jovial atmosphere that was beginning to form.

It did help, of course, to know that each new patron coming in could be the old friend he was very much looking forward to seeing.

The very same friend who’d gifted him this book for Christmas a few days ago. The Clan of Feathers had a long and proud oral history spanning even past The War, but Nezahualpilli’s attempts at remembering any of it weren’t very successful, and the lack of a written record meant that it hadn’t sunk into Altair’s mind very well either.  
After many years of attempting to get the point across, the Eagle King had come up with an idea the last time he had gone to visit his people. A young clan member had started up a small printing press since he had last visited, and so Nezahualpilli had approached the elders with the idea of writing down the clan’s histories and traditions, for posterity’s sake. After all, if The End were to come as prophesied, what legacy could the clan leave behind if there was no one left to tell it?

Thankfully, the elders had been quite amicable to the idea, and so Altair now held in his hands the first edition of _The Clan of Feathers: A Written History_. As to be expected from such a title, the contents of the book were fairly dry – mostly literal transcriptions of the elders telling their interpretations of the tales they’d heard as kids, embellished with age. To Altair, it was still riveting material, but the jovial ambience and the tea beside him were very appreciated additions to his reading.

Altair was in the middle of a passage about the importance of beak-brothers when he heard shuffling sounds coming from the other side of the booth. Looking up from the page was Nezahualpilli himself, trying his best to sit down quietly. Unfortunately, Nezahualpilli didn’t do quietly all that well.

“Ah! Altair, my friend! Sorry for the wait, I hope I’m not disturbing your reading!” The king beamed cheerfully, as he turned on the lamp on the table to illuminate the scene. ( _Nightfall already?_ Alistair thought.) In one hand he held a flagon of what was presumably his regular mead, the other held a well-worn checkered box. Opening the box, Nezahualpilli tossed several pieces Alistair’s way. The two men nodded in as they began their time-honoured ritual of setting up the chessboard for their weekly game. 

Altair, finally shifting his focus away from his book, noticed that Nezahualpilli looked slightly more ruffled than usual. “You mentioned a wait…I imagine there was trouble on today’s mission?” He inquired.

“Indeed. The monster posed no threat to our tactics, but it left quite a mess after we took it down. I’ve been spending the last few hours trying to rid my battle robes of the stench.” Nezahualpilli sighed, recalling the foul odour that he had _mostly_ succeeded in removing.

Altair paused for a moment, his mind reaching back into the archives of his memory. “Have you tried using lemon juice? I once read that their acidic properties can be used to remove stains from clothing.”

“I can’t say that I have! I shall have to ask the kitchen after tonight’s game.”

“That same book also mentioned that lemon juice could be used with water to create rudimentary invisible ink. I’ve yet to try it myself, but it could be useful in a pinch.”

“Astonishing! I never knew a fruit so sour could hold so many surprises.”

This repertoire continued for some time as the two finished setting up the board. Altair would delve deeper down into his library of knowledge, and for the most part, Nezahualpilli followed him down this journey. The Eagle King smiled at how invested his friend was getting in this – he could swear he saw the gears turning in Altair’s eyes as the conversation moved on. 

Eventually, the pieces were set, and the talking dimmed down.. The revelry in Raduga had started to peak, but the men felt a quiet serenity fall upon them in their quiet little corner. The match was ready to begin.

\---

The tradition had started years ago, when Altair had only just joined the crew. There weren’t nearly as many people on the ship than there was nowadays, but it still took a couple of days for the two to cross paths. When did they did finally cross paths though, Nezahualpilli had taken an immediate interest in the tactician.

“Ho there, fledgling! I, the Eagle King Nezahualpilli, wish to welcome you to the crew! I trust you’re adjusting to the skyfarer’s life well?” He boomed, extending his hand for a handshake. 

“T-thank you. My name is Altair, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Altair reflexively accepted the greeting, trying to take in the man’s full outfit. He faintly recalled hearing about some clan of men who, in their quest to be one with the sky, bonded with the birds of the land to learn their sequence. 

But if there was one thing that Altair was rapidly learning to accept, it was that some of the more peculiar tales he’d read and accepted as fact over the years were still somewhat puzzling to encounter in person. In the last few days, he’d met cursed knights, gem princess, and...he still wasn’t quite sure if Lady Grey had performed outright necromancy, but that felt like a topic a bit too dangerous to touch upon.

But none of them were quite as... _loud_ as this new companion. Nezahualpilli was dressed in what looked to be a birdsuit of some kind, covered in feathers that glistened in the afternoon sun. Upon his head was the fierce head of an eagle, which he wore with the posture of a crown. 

And on his face, he wore a giant smile, as if he’d known Altair all his life and was overjoyed to see his friend return from travels abroad. That was what struck Altair the hardest – Nezahualpilli may have been loud with his words and his dress, but it was rare for someone to be as loud with their emotions towards Altair as well. It felt...nice, and Altair found he couldn’t help but smile back.

“So, fledgling Altair, I’m curious...are you also capable of flight?” Nezahualpilli questioned, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Altair’s thoughts broke instantly. “Eh?” He squeaked out. 

“Those wings on your back. Do they let you fly through the skies?”

Realisation crashed onto Altair, as he realised what he’d decided to wear today.

“Ah! My apologies, Eagle King-”

“Please, call me Nezahualpilli!”

“...right. Nezahualpilli, I’m sorry to say that these are merely an accessory.” Altair detached one of the wings, to Nezahualpilli’s shock. 

“Simply fascinating! The attention to detail on these wings is so lifelike...you didn’t harm any birds in the making of these wings, did you?” 

“No, these were made from moulted feathers. I’ve cross-referenced them with multiple ornithological encyclopedias, so they should be accurate-”

“I’m sorry, what is an orinthy-logical?”

“Ornithological – the study of birds. I have a few books of that persuasion in my personal library that I’ve yet to fully unpack, I’m afraid-”

Nezahualpilli’s eyes widened in surprise “You’ve yet to unpack? But you’ve been here for days now, I hear! How many books do you have in this library of yours?”

“Not many. A couple...dozen boxes, perhaps?”

“Well then! Let me come with you – perhaps together, we can sort these boxes out?”

“I...that would be very helpful, thank you.”

“Do not mention it, fledgling!” Nezahualpilli chuckled heartily. “In return, I have been looking for someone to enjoy me in a battle of wits that I would imagine a well-read man such as yourself would be interested in. Would you like to indulge me in a game once we are done?”

“I...suppose? What game are you proposing?” Altair responded, quite confused. 

“It is a game that I have found on my travels through the sky. I’ve been told it is a game for kings such as myself, but I’ve yet to find someone on this ship to try it out. Tell me, fledgling, have you ever heard of chess before?”

\---

Altair found a smile on his face as he found himself reminiscing about that first game. He’d won handily, back then; he’d often played it in his tactician days to keep his wits sharp. Slowly, they’d fallen into a routine – every week, Nezahualpilli would bring the chess set back and challenge Altair once more. Most weeks Altair would crush him, but the Eagle King’s tenacity meant he’d honed his skills enough to take some wins. 

Today was not one of those days. Nezahualpilli was still clearly out of it from the day’s events, and it led to some sloppy plays Altair was all too happy to take advantage of.

“Checkmate.” Altair broke the spell of concentration the two had woven, letting the bar’s ambience soak back into their heads as the tension of competition slowly eased.

“Ah, well done indeed, fledgling. It seems that it’s my turn to shout this evening!” Nezahualpilli chuckled, lifting himself from the booth as he made his way over to the bar for another round of drinks.

Alone with his thoughts, Altair took the time to take in the world around him. It still wasn’t something that he was very good at – he doubted that he ever really would be – but it was something Nezahualpilli had imparted upon him early into their friendship. With how focused Altair was on what people had written in the past, the present often passed him by. But this moment – Nezahualpilli laughing at something Ladiva told him while she poured them their drinks, the society members having an _incredibly_ heated game of cards on the booth nearby, the stars shining through the blackness of the sky outside – this was a moment that he chose to be in the present for, filling him with a sense of indescribable peace.

Altair’s focus shifted as his companion returned, but the peace remained. Nezahualpilli handed him a new cup of tea as he settled in, struggling to keep his own mead from overflowing. As the drinks settled down, so too did the comfortable silence that typically accompanied the first post-chess drink of the night. 

However, tonight was slightly different.

“Here.” Altair produced a small present box from his breast pocket, handing it over to his friend. “I’m sorry it’s late – I got wrapped up in specifying the details, so it only arrived this morning. Merry Christmas, nonetheless.”

“Oh! Well this is a lovely surprise, Altair! Thank you very much!” Nezahualpilli smiled, and in that smile Altair saw that very first time he’d managed to surprise the king, that same mix of genuine shock and delight that Altair’s ‘wings’ had managed to invoke.

Nezahualpilli hastily tore open the wrapping paper and open the box, gasping at its contents. Inside was a chess piece – a wonderfully crafted king, with grand wings spanning its side and a familiar looking eagle-shaped headdress in the place of its crown.

“Why fledgling, I’m speechless. Thank you!” Nezahualpilli leapt over the booth for a hug, overjoyed at his gift. 

“You’re very welcome. Thank you, my friend, for everything.” The strategist returned the embrace, finding the warmth making him break into a smile of his own. 

“Now, shall we continue with where we left off?” Nezahualpilli returned back into his booth, holding his mead as the two settled in for the night. “If I recall correctly, you were telling me about lemons?”

“Ah, yes!” Altair pushed his glasses up, and Nezahualpilli could swear he saw light glinting off them. “You see, their chemical makeup also allows them to be used as emergency batteries...”

**Author's Note:**

> A very belated Merry Christmas to all! Nezahualpilli's one of my fav granblue characters, and Altair's grown on me a LOT since I've researched him for this fic, so it was a treat to write. Hope y'all enjoyed the fun vibes!


End file.
